Sewing receptacle



March 11, 1941. J. v. MURRELL SEWING RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mm & J 5 m mmwmm EL W VU A mJ 2 8 6 L M 2 3 Q Marclnl l, 1941. J. v. MURRELL SEWING REGEPTACLE Filed Sept. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR M E M J.

wu mm m Mm MY Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE SEWING RECEPTACLE Julia V. Murrcll, Santa Monica, Calif. Application September 25, 1939, Serial No. 296,357

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to the art of needlework and sewing, and more particularly to holders for articles used in the practice of this art.

An object of the invention is to provide a receptacle which is structurally characterized to enable sewing paraphernalia such as spools of thread, needles and scissors to be neatly and compactly stored in a comparatively inexpensive and lightweight portable structure, in an arrangement affording maximum accessibility to the articles and particularly to the spools, any one of a multiplicity of which can be easily selected and removed from the receptacle or a desired length of thread unwound from a selected spool without disturbing the mounting of the latter in the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a receptacle of the above described character which embodies a hollow skeletal frame within which is rotatably mounted a'plurality of spool holders, the frame also supporting the upper or bust portion of a female human figure from which depends the skirt portion of a garment on the figure to enclose the frame in the form of a hoop skirt, a panel of which is mounted on a door forming part of the frame and may be swung to an open position exposing the spool holders and other accessories in the receptacle.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the combinations and arrangements of elements as set forth in the following specifications andparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view showing in front elevation the sewing receptacle embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the sewing receptacle in front elevation partly broken away;

Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views taken, respectively, on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the rotatable mounting for the spool holders.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the invention, in its broad aspect, is composed of a hollow skeletal frame F supporting a superstructure preferably in the form of a plastic or wooden body ill constituting the upper or bust portion of a dressed female human figure, and enclosed by the skirt portion ll of the garment clothing the figure, which conceals the frame and the spool holders S and S mounted therein.

The frame F is composed of a circular base l2 of sheet metal having a suitable soft pad l3 thereunder, to the peripheral flange i i of which base is permanently secured by welding or other means vertical wire members l5 arranged at intervals around the circumference of the base/5 The upper portions it of the member [5 curve inwardly and are bent around and permanently secured to a relatively small wire ring lta.

The flared bottom I! of the body It is slightly larger in diameter than the ring Mia and seats upon the parts of the members which are bent around the ring, as clearly shown in Figure 2. The upper extremities I8 of the members [5 are bent inwardly upon the flared bottom H to clamp the body It) tightly in place upon the 15 frame F.

At the juncture of the curved upper portions i6 and the straight lower portions of the members l5, a wire member l9 forming part of a ring, is secured, this member leaving a door opening 20 in the frame between those two adjacent members [5 thereof which are relatively widely spaced as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

A door D controls the opening 2! and is composed of upper and lower bars 2i and 22 which are curved to conform to the circumference of the Wire 19 and base l2 and are curled at one end to form sleeves 23 freely receiving one of said two wires I5 to provide hinged connections. The bars 2| and 22 are rigidly connected at their other ends and intermediate their ends by vertical bars 24 and 25, respectively, the bar 25 extending in a curve above the hinge bar 2f as indicated at 25a to conform to the curvature of the upper portions l6 of the members l5. As the sleeve 23 of the hinge bar 2| rides upon the member I9 as shown in Figure 2, the door is mounted for swinging movement, and is adapted to be latched in closed position by springy engagement of a lateral offset 26 of the bar 2| with that member 15 at the free vertical edge of the door as shown in Figure 3.

A bearing member 21 in the form of a sheet metal bar spans the frame F diametrically and has sleeves 28 at its ends curled about the ring member l9 to rigidly support the bearing member for co-action with the base l2 in supporting a rod or axle 29 secured by screws 30 and 3| to the bearing member and base, respectively, in a vertical position centrally in the frame, as shown in Figure 5.

In the present instance, three of the spool holders S are shown, and each is composed of a spider having slX arms 32, at the outer ends of which spool receiving posts 33 are rigidly secured. The holders S are rotatably mounted on lation as to afford maximum compactness and yet permit spools on the posts 33 of the two lower holders to be applied to and removed from the posts when the arms 32 of the holders are staggered in a circumferential direction, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. The spool holder S comprises two brackets 35 secured to the bearing member 21 and provided with arms 36 slotted to receive trunnions 3! on a spool 38 of basting cotton, so as to mount the spool directly opposite the upper portion of the door opening 2%] for rotation about a horizontal axis.

The skirt portion H of the garment clothing the figure is provided with a front panel 39 (Figures l and 2), one vertical edge 40 of which is free of and overlaps the remainder of the skirt approximately at the free edge of the door D. The panel is also free of and overlaps the remainder of the skirt along the lines 4| and 42 (Figure 1), and the panel is secured by sewing or otherwise to the various members of the door D at such locations as will support the panel on the door and yet not interfere with swingingmovement of the door. A loop 43 or other form of inconspicuous door pull is provided on the panel 39 at the upper cross bar 2| of the door so as to enable the door to be readily unlatched and swung to open position.

For the sake of clearness, the panel 39 is shown in Figure 2, detached from the door D and folded back to expose the inner side of the panel which is provided with a number of pockets 45 for other sewing paraphernalia, such as a pair of scissors, packages of needles, and balls of darning cotton.

In the use of the invention, it will be clear that with the door D open, access to any spool on the holders S can be had by rotating the holder to a position in the door opening 20. A selected spool can be easily lifted from its post 33 or a length of thread unwound from the spool by rotating the same on the post. Likewise, basting thread can be readily unwound from the spool 38 without removing the spool from the holder 8'.

When the door D is latched closed, the panel 39 of the skirt portion I I appears to be an integral part of the latter and to co-act therewith in entirely concealing the frame F, which latter effectively supports the garment and imparts to its skirt portion the form of a hoop skirt. Therefore, it will be evident that by the combination and arrangement of the frame F, the body 10 of the female human figure, and the garment thereon co-acting with the frame and its door D as above described, an exceedingly useful and at the same time ornamental receptacle for sewing paraphernalia is provided, which receptacle greatly facilitates the orderly and accessible storage of such articles and forms an attractive accessory to a sewing room.

What is claimed is:

A sewing receptacle comprising a base member, a skeletal frame mounted on the base member, a post secured to the base member and embraced by the frame, a reinforcing car connected to and extending across the upper end of the frame, the upper end of the post being mounted in the reinforcing bar, a plurality of spool holders mounted on the post, each spool holder consisting of a hub portion having a central opening, arms extending radially from the hub portions, a sleeve connected to and depending from each hub portion at the central opening thereof, said sleeves rotatably mounting the holders on the post at various horizontal levels, upstanding pins on the free ends of the arms for receiving spools, the arms of each holder being of substantially the same length,v the holders being independently rotatable of each other so that the arms of a holder at a lower horizontal level may be positioned in vertical planes midway between the arms of a superimposed holder, the free ends of the arms being spaced apart a suilicient distance so spools supported on the arms of a holder at a lower horizontal level may be readily removed from or replaced on said arms between the spaced arms at the next higher horizontal level.

JULIA V. MURRELL. 

